The Easy Way
by want your rad bromance
Summary: fem!10001, slight loli; "We're going to remake the world, Uni-chan," Byakuran tells her, an eager smile dancing on her lips.  Yes, there are some times when the easy way is far more entertaining.


A/N: So, you thought you saw the last of fem!Pedokuran? What can I say, this fandom is more open to genderbend than any other I've been in, so I'll go with the flow. This could've been regular Byakuran, but I really wanted to capture the fact that he (or she, in this case) is totally barren and unable to do what she wants the most- to create. Creating a child? Nope. Creating a new world? Sorry. It's just more poignant than saying "his jizz doesn't work" or something like that, in my mind. xD Plus, Girlkuran pretending to be all sisterly to Uni is too creepy to pass up. ...I swear I wasn't into lolicon and shoutacon before Reborn!. At all. _

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Even with her power, there are plenty of things that present a challenge to Byakuran. She doesn't mind at all, and thinks of it simply as going up a level in difficulty. Anything that's too easy is boring, a waste of her time. Watching the girl across from her, she makes an amendment to that generalization, just for her. From the moment she was made aware of her existence, Byakuran knew Uni would come to her willingly, give herself up willingly, all for the sake of everyone but herself. It makes the ease with which Byakuran had taken her even more entertaining than if she'd struggled, really.

Now, Uni faces her with empty eyes, lacquered and unseeing as a doll's. She retains the ability to perform basic functions such as eating and getting dressed, but dolls aren't quite so high-tech yet, so Uni won't be, either. Byakuran sifts through a closet stuffed with monochromatic skirts and blouses, permeated only by the occasional orange ribbon. She'd had all of Uni's old clothes burned first thing after the merger, and picked out a wardrobe far more suited to her own tastes.

"How about this one today, Uni-chan?" she trills, presenting a black button-up with blooming sleeves and a short, ruffled skirt to match. Blank blue eyes neither approve or reject- even if they could still hold expression, Byakuran is not a woman who takes 'no' for an answer. "I thought you'd like it!" Byakuran exclaims, as if the girl across from her had responded with equal enthusiasm. She moves back to the bed and sits beside Uni, tenderly stroking a cheek cold as porcelain. If she were to lie down and shut her eyes, she'd appear dead, but Byakuran has plenty of other toys to play with if she wants to see someone lively. Shou-chan comes to mind, hazel eyes full of disapproval throughout the entiere merger ceremony, full lips set in a frown that Byakuran prefers to call a pout. Of course, she'd brought her second-in-command around that night, stroking the fiery curls and murmuring softly that it was really for the best if they wanted to achieve their goal. Her goal.

The same slim fingers now run down the childish curve of Uni's face, exploring the unfamiliar contour. Byakuran never played with other children at Uni's age, and in adulthood, they are an infinitely entertaining curiosity. Most blend from one into the other, but a precious few stand out from world to world, charming Byakuran with their naivete a thousand times over. She presses her forehead to Uni's and marvels at the sight of her white hair, long since drained of all pigment, against the girl's dark locks. In a mockery of a tender gesture, she kisses Uni's forehead, her little button nose, her frigid lips. The girl does not move, does not flinch, does not flush pleasantly with colour, but Byakuran does not mind. As far as she is concerned, a child is just a child, just another person, just another background character. They may have their own little quirks or be of special help to her, but she has no room for their feelings amidst the din of voices echoing across the multiverse.

"We can be just like sisters, Uni-chan," she murmurs, one hand moving back to stroke the girl's hair. "I can't have children, you know, but I don't think it would be very much fun to be a mother. I'd have to scold you all the time, and that's just not something I'm suited to doing." She's heard that every power comes with a price, but she hardly sees how the instinctive knowledge that her body can never bear a child is any sort of toll. As a child, she thought herself an anachronism, eyes, hair, and skin bleached but never burning like an albino's would. By now, she's come to accept the odd quirks of her power that manifest physically, and she's learned how to use them to her advantage. Both men and women will do a double-take when she walks by, and they gravitate towards her like moths to a flame. Byakuran basks in their attentions like one would sit under a lightbulb- feeling just a little bit warmer, but by no means satisfied. She supposes that the whole world's attention may satisfy her- put enough lightbulbs together and you get a bright, warm light.

The hand on Uni's head slides down the back of her neck and down her spine before slipping under the thin camisole she wears to sleep. A simple upwards motion is enough to remove it, prompting Uni to move for the first time that day in order to accommodate the shifting fabric. Slowly, as if her joints are in need of oiling, she stands and allows a humming Byakuran to dress her. Looking at the finished result, Byakuran kisses her once more, and this time, the cold lips part for her. Both of them are utterly devoid of care, in spite of the loving appearance of their embrace. She takes Uni's hand in hers and leads her to the door, stooped over to whisper in the girl's ear about all the important things they'll do today.

"We're going to remake the world, Uni-chan," Byakuran tells her, an eager smile dancing on her lips. "With Uni-chan, it'll be much easier to finish my collection, and then things will be better, you'll see. If I'd had anything to say about it, I would never have taken your mother away from you." Uni stiffens ever so slightly, and for the briefest moment, the girl beneath the glazed-over surface reappears, just long enough to let a single tear slip from the corner of her wide eye. In another instant, she is gone, and Byakuran is left once more with a compliant doll. Yes, she thinks, there are some times when the easy way is far more entertaining than struggling for something you know you're going to get in the end anyways.


End file.
